Sometimes when life hits us, we feel like crawling into our shell rather than take on the challenge. When reality strikes hard, sometimes we don’t feel like dealing with our problems. The Bible tells us that through God, we can have the strength to overcome our obstacles no matter how big or small.

While sin tells us lies about who we are and how we should feel, God tells us that we should not feel lazy or feel limited. We must act on improving ourselves and each other. When things don’t go our way, we must remain strong in our faith in God. In order to avoid losing strength, we must build each other up with encouragement and accountability.

We can’t run from our problems or be too lazy to fix them. We must face them and rely on God for our strength. Only He can help us overcome our spiritual battles. The evil one will constantly tell you that you’re not good enough or that you will never amount up to anything. However, God tells us the opposite of that in His word.

When darkness rises, God is our light. When trouble surrounds us, God is our hope. When we feel weak, God is our strength. We must remember this every day, so that we can face any problem or situation we are going through. What helps us get through our daily struggles is a strong community and friends we can lean on. God provides that for us with our local churches and Bible studies.

If you want to feel the strength God provides, think about giving up your problems and surrendering them to God. Let Him take your burdens. Feel the heavy weight lifted off your shoulders. Even though mankind will let you down, God never will. He is always there and ready for you to take that leap of faith with Him.

This week, pray about how you can be strengthened by God’s word and His teachings. Let His power give you peace and perseverance as you take on the daily challenges of life.

]]>Jealous for Godhttp://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/05/13/jealous-for-god/
Mon, 13 May 2019 16:00:55 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1214Proverbs 23:17 (ESV)Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the time.

Have you ever wondered how someone is living the good life even though they aren’t a Christian? They pile up fame and fortune, but even though they never give glory to God, it seems as though God is blessing them. While these people might be receiving riches of the world, it’s good to remind ourselves that we don’t have to envy them because they are not receiving the riches of God’s grace.

It’s easy to get caught up in the luxurious lifestyle and indulge ourselves. It feels good to look out for ourselves and get wrapped up in selfish desires. That is not what the Bible teaches us. Those who treasure the Lord rather than being envious of sinners have hope for eternity. There is no need to be jealous over anything. Everyone eventually dies, no matter how good our life was. Don’t desire materialistic things, but instead, have our hearts pursue God.

We have to focus on the desires of God, rather than the desires of this world. Fame and fortune will not benefit our eternal home. We have to rely on God for righteous pleasures. Once this life is over, where we spend for an eternity is what really matters. Whether we drive a fancy car or live in a big house, we all end up in one of two places after we die. Let this thought guide our discernment. Let our lives revolve around God and his will. For where your heart is, there your treasure is also, like Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21.

This week, pray about how you can be zealous for the fear of the Lord rather than envy sinners. Don’t covet what your non-Christian friends have, but instead, pursue God’s heart. Only then will you truly be blessed in your life.

The wickedness of sin has blinded us from the blessings and love of God. We should value the word of God with our life, because that’s what it provides for us. God has benefitted us, so we need to see that in our life.

God has shown us wondrous things every day. Whether it’s the birth of a newborn baby, a person being cured of their disease or someone getting a new job. God blesses us in so many different ways. Sometimes we have to open our eyes to the many blessings God has given us. To do that, we have to open ourselves up to God to see what He has revealed to us through His word. The Bible is chock full of God’s loving promises to us. If we apply that same love to others around us, people can see God’s blessings through our actions.\

One of our most powerful senses in the human body is sight. Our eyes benefit our soul, mind and body because it can find beauty. God benefits our sight with His beautiful creation all over the world. He has brought that same type of beauty in His word. His love and sacrifice for us is a beautiful sight to behold, because it contains our hope for salvation. His law and His commands help us better understand what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be saved. God’s love allows us to see the wonders in his word, or get a clear sight of what is already revealed.

This week, pray that God will open your eyes to reveal His blessings in your life. Reflect on the positive aspects He has given to you, so you can share that with others.

]]>The Creatorhttp://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/04/29/the-creator/
Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:00:31 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1210Isaiah 44:2 (ESV)Thus, says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

This is a very important passage in the book of Isaiah. God is telling Israel, here call Jeshurun, that he chose them and formed them as a nation. He created a plan for Israel even before they were a nation. Imagine a God that loves his nation so much, that he formed them intimately, created a plan for them, and promises to help them.

Have you ever thought how much God loves us? He has created us. God is so amazing with His love. Not only does He allow our existence, but then provides more help than we can ever imagine. One example is a protein molecule that holds cells together called Lamina, which literally holds us together. If you look at it under a microscope, it’s shaped like a cross. Second example is the Holy Spirit, who counsels in every situation. God is always steadfast and there for us and has promised us that. Where in your life do you see God’s continual promise in your life?

God created our origin. He formed us in the womb and molded us together. He has been with us ever since the beginning of our life. If He was with us there at the beginning, He will surely be with us in the end. God has created us to work for Him. He wants to see the results of His beautiful creation. That means we have to live out our purpose. Don’t worry, God will still help us along the way.
This week, keep a lookout for opportunities to tell others about Christ, as God keeps a lookout for us.

Trust is a big issue for a lot of people. It is the firm belief in the reliability of someone else. Sometimes our past can affect who we trust and how much trust we put in someone. However, with God, we can confidently put our trust in Him because He will never let us down and He never has.

God is the only one we should put our trust in. Most of us put our trust in our job to make us more money so we can be happier. Some of us put our trust in people to give us social satisfaction. We are reminded every day that everything on this earth will let us down eventually. People break our trust. Jobs don’t take care of everything financially. We can’t put our trust in something that is imperfect, because it sets us up to fall short of expectations.

We’re always going to have something come up in our life that opposes us. Enemies rise up in the form of people, situations and other obstacles we might face throughout the day. Satan, one of our greatest enemies, is always looking for a chance to break us down and tempt us. Even though our opposition comes to hurt us, God is bigger and more powerful than anything life throws at us. God overcomes fear, doubt and uncertainty.

We need to trust God completely with our lives. He is able to do all things and provide us with security when we need it. Some of us need to let go of our trust with the things of this world and rely more heavily on God. Money can only last for so long. Friendships don’t last forever. Things pass away, but God never will.

This week, pray about how you can put more trust in God rather than materialistic things. Seek Him and He will provide you with all that you need and more. If you wish to trust in something perfect and eternal, ask to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You will soon realize that He will never let you down.

Most of us have heard the expression, “I’m surrounded by idiots.” How many of us actually think that way? Sometimes our problem is that we tend to treat other people like they don’t know what they’re doing. However, they might not understand the concept you are trying to explain or maybe they have a different perspective.

When we get caught up in those type of situations at work or at home, it might be hard to do the right thing. When facing those obstacles, remember that God has taught us humility and putting others ahead of ourselves. It should be less about ourselves and more about God.

Humility considers the interests of others. Personal responsibilities demand consideration, but the concerns of others are equally important. That’s the message Paul is trying to get through the church in Philippi. We can combat our attitude toward people by following the example Jesus laid out for us in His ministry.

It’s difficult to deal with other people. Even Christians don’t get along with other Christians. That was one of the problems Paul was trying to fix with the Philippians. Sometimes we have to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. We should have a different perspective. Instead of finding everything wrong with a person, look at how you can make everything better.

Christians are all striving for one goal for the faith of the gospel, so we should be united as one body of Christ. We don’t need to seek glory for ourselves, because we don’t deserve it. Only God should receive our praises and He needs to be exalted in our lives. We do that by looking out for each other. Let’s encourage one another and treat others the way God wants us to treat them.

This week, pray about how you can humble yourself to serve a friend, family member or co-worker. Ask God for guidance as you put value on other people besides yourself. God loves us and treasures us so much. That should encourage us to do the same for others.

]]>Our cries are heardhttp://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/04/08/our-cries-are-heard/
Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:00:05 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1201Psalm 3:4 (ESV)I cried out to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.

Crying out for help is a plea of desperation when everything you’ve done just doesn’t seem to work. It usually means we are at our lowest point in life and we need a savior. Thankfully for us, we have the greatest savior anyone could ever ask for in Jesus Christ.

In this world, we will always have trouble. Something will always go wrong. When that happens, we can either try to fix the problem ourselves, or have a professional fix it for us. It could either be a physical problem that a maintenance man could fix or an emotional problem for which a therapist could try to help. Crying out to God can come from many backgrounds. We just lost our job, we lost a loved one or we are looking for direction in life. Whatever the case, God is there to help us and He hears us every single time.

We should have a sense of confidence that God always hears us. Even when God doesn’t answer our prayers right away, He’s not ignoring us. God knows our hearts and knows what’s best for us in that particular time and place in our lives. We also have to listen and hear God through our prayers. Praying is not a one-way conversation where we list a bunch of problems we want God to fix for us. It’s a back-and-forth exchange with our loving Father.

We have to understand that God always hears us, even when it doesn’t seem like it. We have to be patient with our prayers and realize how God wants us to live our life. Let’s try praying our prayers aloud before going to bed at night or when we wake up in the morning. God can hear our thoughts, but sometimes it works better for people to realize what they’re praying for when they can hear their own voice. God hears our cries, so don’t be afraid to cry out to Him. He will always be there for you when no one else will.

This week, cry out to God and listen for his response. He cares for you and He loves you. A great relationship always starts with a conversation, begin yours today if you would like to follow Jesus and have a relationship with him.

]]>No Joke; it’s not “Good News”, it’s “The Best News Ever”http://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/04/01/no-joke-its-not-the-good-news-its-the-best-news-ever/
Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:00:25 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1198Romans 1:16-17For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’

What is the Gospel? If you’ve ever been to a church, it is a term that gets thrown around a lot in sermons or songs or testimonies. But what do we mean when we say “Gospel?” Why should it matter to us?

The Gospel, at its basic definition, is taken from a Greek word that simply means “good news”. However, when we use it in the context of the Bible and Christianity, it is the best news we could ever hope to receive. When Paul was writing to the church in Rome, he opens up his Gospel and gives us the passage above. It is often considered the theme verse for the entire book. Paul is defining the Gospel in very simple terms. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes. It doesn’t matter if you are a part of the Nation of Israel or not. But we have to ask ourselves, what are we being saved from? The Bible tells us that when God created the world, he created it perfectly. All of the earth was in harmony. No death, no sickness, no pain, and no evil. Then we look at our world today. It is far from harmonious. Man sinned. Adam and Eve, the first two humans, broke God’s law and condemned their offspring to a life of sin and death

God created a perfect world so that he would be in relationship with his creation. Because we sinned, we weren’t able to have that relationship. So he sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sin. 2 Corinthians tells us that he became sin even though he never sinned so that we may become his righteousness. This great exchange happened because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Now we can be in relationship with God. We can speak to God in prayer and he speaks to us through his word. He is faithful to forgive all of the times we broke his law because the punishment that we deserved was placed upon Christ. This is the Good News: that Jesus died so you and I could live.

This week, if you have never put your faith in Christ and relied upon him for your salvation, today is the day. He will save you from your sins and bring you into a relationship with him.

]]>Training a childhttp://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/03/25/training-a-child/
Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:00:02 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1196Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You are literally in charge of raising a human being and making sure they live out the life God intended them to live. Eventually, the child will grow up, mature and make their own decisions. When they reach that point, it will be difficult to instruct them in the ways of the Lord, because the child wants to find their own way.

To train a child is to dedicate your time and effort to him or her. If a child is initiated in an appropriate manner, they will grow up being wise and mature. Parents have a responsibility to bring up their child in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. When you become a parent, or if you are a parent right now, you have to sacrifice your time and energy for the sake of raising a godly person. If they listen to instructions that please God, they will have a prosperous spiritual future.

Not everyone is a parent, or will never be a parent, but everyone is a child of someone. You have to come from somewhere right? Well as a child, this pertains to you, too. If you read this passage, you’ll understand what your parents went through during your earlier years. It will help you respect them more knowing the fact that they fed you, changed your diapers and taught you the difference between right and wrong. Just like parents give life to their children, God gives life both physically and spiritually.

This week, pray about how you can be a godly parent to your child. If you are not a parent, pray about how you can give honor to your parents in a godly way. Let the loving relationship between parent and child guide you in your walk with Christ so you can have a personal relationship with Him.

]]>A little is better than a lothttp://www.graceministriesusa.org/2019/03/18/a-little-is-better-than-a-lot/
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 16:00:44 +0000http://www.graceministriesusa.org/?p=1204Proverbs 15:16 (ESV)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.

Sometimes less is good. That’s the case with this proverb. Materialism can get the most of us at times. We always want more. But what really satisfies us is the love of God and the personal relationship we get to have with Him.

A little wealth and a very good relationship with God are better than a lot of wealth and little relationship with God. The world we live in is temporary and so are the things of this world like money, fame, fortune and possessions. However, God is permanent and our relationship with Jesus Christ has eternal implications. What good is it to gain the whole world and then lose your soul?

Too much money and power can lead to corruption. This could lead us to ignore God and wealth becomes our idol. Whenever we put something else in front of God, there’s going to be disappointment in your life. You can’t take money and other possessions with you when you go to heaven. All of that is worthless in the presence of God. A relationship with Jesus Christ gives you spiritual wealth, which is worth more than all the money in the world.

Money can give us short-term happiness, but the love of Jesus Christ brings nothing but pure joy. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God is the ultimate provider. He will always provide us with what we need. Without Him, we wouldn’t have money or earthly possessions in the first place. He blesses us with what we have. But even more than that, he has given us more than we could possibly imagine in his Son.

This week, pray about how you can ask God into your heart so that you can receive His eternal love. Seek Him who gives joy and blessings, so that you can fill that emptiness with something pure.